An inconspicuous metal installation was recently built on a small hill in Tuscon, Arizona. Next to it hangs a plaque with a short description. The Millennium Camera is the name of the object of the self-proclaimed experimental philosopher Jonathon Keats. It’s a kind of camera, but not in the classic sense. Because the camera is only allowed to take one photo in its existence. The exposure of this statue should take place over the next 1000 years.
Long exposure is not a new concept in photography. For example, long exposure times are used to take photos at night when it is very dark. You can also use the technology during the day to blur movements. Exposures over several days or even a year have also been done, but 1000 years would certainly be a new record.
To make this possible, Keats had to be inventive. The camera itself has a similar structure to models you might need for a year of exposure. It’s a pinhole camera. It has no moving parts or locking mechanism, just a very small hole through which light enters. In the case of the Millennium Camera, this is a small hole in a 24-karat gold foil. But no matter how small the hole, with 1,000 years of exposure, even the most light-insensitive film would quickly turn completely white. Therefore, Keats relies instead on layers of an oil painting pigment that should fade slowly in the light. Over a period of 1000 years a visible image will emerge. It is not clear what this looks like. More permanent objects like the mountain range in the background would likely come into focus more clearly than houses that could disappear completely.
Keats can only speculate as to whether 1000 years is really the correct exposure time for the pigment. Also whether the camera is still there and whether anyone is looking at the photo. For him it is more about using the camera to stimulate thinking. Such a photo would be a witness to a past millennium, but the camera itself also has value. Especially at a time when the immediate future seems uncertain, a look into the distant future may provide different perspectives.
(msh)
More videos:
Our forests are now measured with lasers
Russian engineer provides insight into the future
DNA instead of a hard drive
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
